In recent years, there is wide use of a display device which includes a touch panel and can detect a position of contact when a finger or an input pen (object to be detected) is brought into contact with the display surface. The display device including the touch panel is arranged such that the touch panel is provided on a front surface side (observer side) of a display panel.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional display device including a touch panel. A display device 100 illustrated in FIG. 8 includes a display panel 120, a backlight 130 provided on a back surface side of the display panel 120, a touch panel 140 provided on a front surface side of the display panel 120, a chassis 150 which contains the backlight 130, a holding frame 160 which holds the display panel 120, and a bezel 170 which covers the holding frame 160 and an outer circumferential section of the display panel 120. The touch panel 140 is attached and fixed to the bezel 170 via an adhesive so as to overlap an end section of the bezel 170.
The display device 100 illustrated in FIG. 8 has a problem that it is difficult to obtain flatness of a display surface because a step is formed between the touch panel 140 and the bezel 170.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a display device including a touch panel described in Patent Literature 1. A display device 20 illustrated in FIG. 9 includes a display panel 10, a backlight 11 provided on a back surface side of the display panel 10, a touch panel 12 provided on a front surface side of the display panel 10, a mold frame 8 which contains the backlight 11, and a spacer 18 which holds the touch panel 12. The touch panel 12 is attached and fixed to the display panel 10 via an adhesive so as to overlap a front surface of the display panel 10. The spacer 18 is provided on a substrate 1 constituting the display panel 10, but is not attached and fixed to the substrate. The spacer 18 is attached and fixed to an end section of the touch panel 12 via an adhesive.
In the display device 20 illustrated in FIG. 9, the bezel illustrated in FIG. 8 is omitted. As such, an outer circumferential section of the touch panel 12 does not have a step. This makes it possible to obtain flatness of a display surface.